Belong to the World
by onyour-own
Summary: James Vega reminisces about the times he had with Shepard.


**Disclaimer: I only own the story plot. **

She belonged to the world.

James looked at Shepard out of the corners of his eyes as she passed by briskly, a fierce look in her eyes as she made her way down to the war room. He could already tell that whoever she was about to confront was going to be getting a one way ticket to hell and humiliation.

"Hey Esteban, pass the salt." the lieutenant turned his full attention back to his meal when Shepard was gone and out of sight, the stew was bland and watery, probably to save their rations, but still, it couldnt hurt to add more food to their food that didn't taste like ass.

"Still pining after her Vega?" Garrus grinned in a way that flared his mandibles and gave him a view of a row of sharp teeth,"You know that Shepard is just a passing dream for guys like you and me." he munched on something brown and shuddered at the taste before making himself swallow the food,"Now that was a whole new experience for me." he commented as he set his fork down.

"Welcome back to the Normandy." Kaiden said dryly as he washed his meal down with a couple of large gulps of water.

"It almost makes me want try out your levo-amino acid food rations just to see if the chef isn't being biased here." Garrus eyed the bowls of stew lined up in front of his human comrades.

"Oh trust me, he's not biased at all." Joker brandished his spoon at Garrus,"If anything I'm sure he just hates everyone on the ship."

"I'm not pining after anybody." James replied to Garrus's question as he shoveled a few stale tasting cubes of meat into his mouth before chewing and swallowing with a grimace.

"Whatever you say." Garrus shrugged,"But it's not going to change the fact that your eyes seem to be glued to her whenever she's around." there was his famous sub harmonic sarcastic drawl. Who knew that this Turian could have so many levels of emotions in just one sentence.

James just grunted and managed to finish off his bowl and got up without another word and handed it to the cook before stalking back down to his place in the shuttle bay.

Of course he knew that Shepard wouldn't look at anyone on the ship, they were in the middle of a war not to mention that everyone on the Normandy was nothing but a friend to her. Besides, if she ever did get married, she would probably get married to some bigshot in the galaxy. Maybe the ruler of a planet, or a king or queen, a political mastermind with lots of money, or maybe even the last Prothean in the galaxy...James shook his head and decided to do some pull ups. His thoughts were getting out of control and ridiculous.

This was Shepard, she had standards.

Even if she was a legend, and an amazing soldier, and leader, and the luckiest human being ever to survive bringing down a reaper, and probably also one of the hottest, and the nicest and most giving commander he had ever served under, Shepard had standards.

"Vega I need you to grab that data packet now!" Shepard instructed him through the comm systems in their headsets as she picked off Cerberus operatives one by one with her sniper rifle with Garrus. Occassionally if one managed to slip through the both of them she used her submachine gun or fought with them hand to hand with her omni-tool. Vega was busy trying to hack a computer console to get at the data packet they had come to retrieve from Cerberus.

"I'm almost done Lola!" James called back as he got past the last firewall and began to downloading the data onto his omni-tool.

"Lola?" he could hear Garrus ask Shepard curiously, his sub harmonics hummed in the headsets. Of course this was the first time he had heard her nickname.

"You know how he is." Shepard shrugged it off and looked through her sniper rifle scope to see if there were anymore hostiles coming in,"Nicknames."

"But...what is a Lola?" Garrus asked curiously as he aimed at an advancing Cerberus Technician about to set up a turret.

"I'm done here!" James hopped over the console counter and took his position next to Shepard.

"Good job." she reloaded her sniper rifle before reholstering it and grabbed her submachine gun checking to make sure it was fully loaded before getting out of cover,"Let's go before reinforcements come."

From there it was easy and the ground team made it back to the waiting shuttle with no problems at all.

"So Vega." Garrus leaned against the wall as they decided to just relax after everyone else left to go do their own stuff leaving the Turian and human alone,"I'm a bit hurt that you decided to take cover next to Shepard instead of me." as always his voice was lazily drawn out, sub harmonics highlighting his deep voice.

"Oh come on Vakarian." James let out a short laugh,"Don't tell me that you wouldn't have taken the chance if it was right there."

"You know Vega," Garrus crossed his arms over his chest,"Maybe, you should just tell her. This is going to sound bad, but the way this war is going, you might as well do everything you can before the reapers come and ruin it all."

James looked at him in something that was almost shock,"Vakarian, you can't be serious. This is Shepard. She has her head full with the war, she's got no time for fraternizing." he grimaced at the last word thinking of how impersonal it sounded.

"Well if you won't take this chance to, then I will." Vakarian smirked at the human who was now gaping at him.

"N-now wait a minute Vakarian." James stood up from his seat when the Turian pushed himself away from the wall and proceeded to walk to the elevator,"You can't be serious about that." the elevator doors hissed open and Garrus walked in ignoring James.

"Well?" Garrus looked at James pointedly,"Are you going to just stand there?" and grinned at him when James stepped inside.

"You've gotta be kidding me Vakarian." James rubbed the back of his neck with a hand, he made to press the button for the shuttle bay but Garrus got there first and punched in the button for the captain's cabin.

"Does it look like I'm kidding?" Garrus crossed his arms over his chest as the elevator started to move.

James opened his mouth to answer when the doors slid open and before he knew what was going on Garrus pushed him out and closed the doors before James could do anything,"Damn Turian." he muttered,"Why's he gotta be so damn quick."

He stood there looking at the doors unable to move, if he was correct, there was no way Vakarian would let the elevators be accessible until it was too late and that was his only way of getting out of there.

"You're going down Vakarian." James muttered under his breath as he knocked on the door,"Just wait until I get my hands on you". There was no escaping it this time and in the back of his head, he somehow knew that what Garrus had said was true. There was no time to be scared of rejection. Not when the whole galaxy was at stake.

"Come in." Shepard called out sounding a little surprised but happy. It was rare that any crew member visited her on their own without an invitation.

James palmed the doors and waited for them to open before walking in clenching his hands into fists, this was probably worse than confronting a horde of Brutes and Scions. He could kill those things, but Shepard? He didn't think there was anyone in the galaxy who could kill her.

"James." Shepard was at her desk screwing on a new modifcation for her favorite sniper rifle, she looked at him and grinned,"What's up?" she set her screw driver down and turned her seat to face him,"Everything okay?"

James stiffened up,"Well actually Lola." he unclenched his hands and decided to cross his arms over his chest,"There's ah...something I need to tell you." Gods, get it together James, you're Vega, you're an ass-kicker for justice, you took down a collector ship, you serve under a legendary commander, a bad ass hero who everyone looks up to.

Yes...the legendary commander was the problem now.

The grin on her face dropped immediately at the serious look on James' face and she stood up and gestured over at the couches where they both sat across from each other,"What's up?" she asked clasping her hands together, her commander face was on and she was in full leader mode ready to listen and take action if needed.

"I...uh.." James tilted his head to the side and sighed heavily,"How do I say something like this..." he muttered to himself. Cold sweat could be felt appearing on his forehead and back, something he rarely experienced.

"What is it lieutenant?: Shepard asked him in concern. Her forehead wrinkled up and she looked at him. It must be pretty bad if Vega was actually at a loss for words. He was normally always so sassy with her and everyone else.

"This isn't the best time to let you know but hell I might as well since time is short." James finally told her without avoiding her gaze.

"Okay...?" Shepard returned his gaze in confusion. she was unsure of what to make of this situation now. It didn't seem to be a problem involving reapers or politics.

"I uh..you know Lola." James shrugged,"I just wanted to uh...ugh." he slapped a hand over his face and sighed deeply. This was not like him. Flirting was second nature to him, he was born with it. Handling the ladies was a special talent of his and he had no problems putting it to use when the timing called for it. But with Shepard, it was different. She called him out on it, brushed every attempt off and even made him stutter when she teased him.

"I believe that he is trying to let you know about his growing infatutation with you Commander Shepard." EDI's voice suddenly spoke up when the room had gone silent.

Shepard's eyebrows went up and a smirk was starting to form on her mouth as she glanced over at James.

"EDI!" James choked out looking at the terminal,"I got this." the blood rushed to his head and he could feel himself getting a little hot. That was uncalled for and he had a feeling that Joker was behind this interruption. In fact, if he didn't know the Normany crew any better, he could almost see the crowds of people in the dining hall listening in on their conversation via EDI's shipwide comm systems. Probably making bets...

"My apologies Lieutenant Vega, I had only wished to help." EDI's terminal blinked once and then went out as she logged off.

There was silence and James sighed, well so much for getting into it slowly and carefully.

"So what is this really about Lieutenant Vega?" Shepard couldn't help but laugh a little at the sight of the big muscled soldier hunching over on the sofa looking distraught and panicked.

"I uh...well." James looked up,"I guess at some point in time I started to see you as more than a bad ass commanding officer?" he looked at her with a slight grimace on his face.

"More than a bad ass commanding officer?" Shepard looked at him,"You mean, like a-"

"Yes!" James cut in quickly before Shepard could come up with any smart ass comebacks, because anyone that knew her, knew that she was a sarcastic soldier with a sense of humor,"As in you know, fraternization...and...uh...well that sounded a little bad, but you know." he looked at her pleadingly, begging her silently to get the hint.

"I'm afraid that I don't understand lieutenant, you're going to have to clarify." a wicked smile was alight on her face and it was all she could do to not bust out laughing and her eyes were bright. She was enjoying this, oh yes, she was having the time of her life right now.

James frowned at his whimsical commander,"Clarify?" he looked at her as if she had said something he was unable to comprehend.

"I mean, that you're going to have to go deeper than 'fraternization'." she emphasized clearly.

"Why can't things ever be more simple?" James muttered under his breath, he could almost hear the crew of the Normandy howling with laughter on the crew deck.

"Well?" Shepard tilted her head to the side looking amused,"Your bad ass commanding officer is waiting."

"Well...uhh." James looked up from his hands to her smiling face,"The bed is harder than it looks?" he posed that as a question. Remembering their earlier conversation.

There was a moment of surprised silence and then Shepard burst out laughing,"Alright Vega, you win." she said,"I don't have anything to say to that." she got up and sidled up next to him leaning into his shoulder and sighed.

"Wha-?" James stiffened at the sudden unprecedented action and carefully looked down at her through confused eyes. Was this another one of her whims? What was she doing?

"Well, if you must know, everyone on the Normandy has been betting on this moment." Shepard looked up at him almost laughing,"The moment you walked in through the door was the moment that Garrus, Joker, EDI, Traynor, Mordin, and I won." she grinned,"Although Garrus technically cheated by pushing you out of the elevator."

"I did not cheat!" they could both hear the indignant Turian bellow from the lower level of the ship as the sound echoed through the ducts and they exchanged looks with each other before laughing,"I only helped faciliate this." they could barely make out the words.

James groaned and leaned back into the sofa,"So everyone knew." he sighed and looked up at the ceiling that was uncovered showing the galaxy in its infinite vastness.

"Well it was a little obvious." Shepard shrugged,"I mean come on Vega. Side glances? From you? Blushing? Hell, I know you're a flirt but come on, that's just weak and not like you at all" she gave him a look,"I thought James Vega was a go getter."

"I uh...well see, it's all good and easy when it comes to other girls." James said throwing a hand up in the air,"But it's a different story when it comes to my commanding officer." he looked at Shepard with a sheepish look on his face,"You can't blame a man for being a little intimidated when the woman he likes is a war hero who managed to unite the whole galaxy, take down reapers, a thresher maw, and talk to monsters like it was normal."

Shepard paused and then tilted her head,"Well, I do see your point a little." she admitted jokingly with a laugh but then she slapped him on the shoulder lightly,"Don't be stupid." she told him,"You know that I wouldn't really do anything to hurt someone close to me."

James shrugged,"Yea, I know." was all he said.

"EDI." Shepard suddenly called out to the AI.

"Yes Commander Shepard?" her calm smooth voice came from terminal,"Is there something you needed?"

"Yea, can you turn off the comm systems for my room, I don't want people to keep eavesdropping on our conversation here." Shepard flashed James a quick grin.

"That's no fair commander!" they could hear Joker yell from the crew deck,"We worked hard for this moment!"

"And it's paid off." Shepard spoke up a little bit since she knew that her words would be heard clearly over the Normandy communication systems,"Now EDI please."

"Of course Commander Shepard, it's done. No one will bother you now." EDI replied,"I will also go and keep Jeff company since he is probably sulking now, goodbye commander." and then the panel went silent.

Shepard laughed and leaned back into the sofa still sidled up next to James,"What a day." she sighed and looked up out into space. It still felt strange to be here on the Normandy, after everything they had all gone through, they were here on the Normandy sitting around almost as if the galaxy didn't need to be saved.

"Tell me about it." James groaned and then gingerly wrapped an arm around Shepard's shoulders feeling a little elated inside. It was still a little unbelievable for him.

Shepard grinned and snuggled in closer to him, her head against his shoulder,"Guess those muscles are good for something." she laughed.

James grinned,"They're pretty handy for other things too ya know." he waggled his eyebrows eliciting another laugh from her.


End file.
